Research into the history of Football in Falkirk district : mainly concentrating on the the period up to 1945 I like to dig through the newspapers from the days of yore to find little vignettes that were rarely included in the published histories.
From the ugly side to the downright obscure, just don't expect me to write about anything too obvious ....

Sunday, 4 March 1979

Belfast v Lenzie - Thu Apr 3rd 1879

Belfast Morning News - Fri Apr 4th 1879

GLASGOW V BELFAST

A match between the representatives of the Lenzie (Glasgow) Club and a local team came off yesterday on the grounds of the Ulster Cricket Club, and was the first under the Scottish Association rules in which an Irish team has taken part. The weather was most favourable, and the game was witnessed by a vast number of spectators. The strangers having won the toss, elected to play with the wind, and almost immediately after the kick off, the Belfast team carried the first goal. This seemed to put the Scotchmen on their mettle, for they went to work in right earnest, and rapidly scored four goals in succession. Towards the end of the first half the strangers scored again, and the Belfast men took two goals in the second half. The match, which throughout proved most agreeable, thus closed in favour of the Scotchmen by five goals to three. In the course of the game W.T.Herron took the first goal for Belfast and played very well, being ably supported by Jackson, M'Donald, and M'Aleavy. Altogether the play of our local team was very good, and showed that they require only a little practice to enable them to compete with all comers. Before leaving the ground Mr. Sydney Broadfoot, captain of the Scotch team, took the opportunity of presenting two association balls to the Belfast Club in remembrance of their pleasant match and in the hope that they would be used to further in Ireland. The teams were as follows:- Lenzie - Goal - C.Cree; backs - O.Buck and J.Archer; half-backs - S.Broadfoot and W.Patterson: forwards - F.Archer, J.Macgregor, J.Macpherson, J.Cree, D.Dewar, and M.Broadfoot. Belfast - Goal - J.Watson; backs, H.Davis and J.M.Mack; half-backs, R.M.Sloan and W.A.Glass; forwards, W.T.Herron, W.Jackson, J.Henderson, R.Hughes, J.A.MacDonald, and A.Murray; reserve, R.M.Potts.

Notes -

This match does not really belong on this blog, but I came across it researching Sydney Broadfoot who played one game for Falkirk this season, and since I had found the report I thought I might as well put it up in case anybody found it useful.

There is a McAleavy referred to in the text, but no one of that name in the Belfast team listed. There however is a J.M.Mack in the Belfast team, which would point toward that player being John McAlery.

Incidentally Sydney's brother who also played here was Melbourne Broadfoot, and Sydney's twin sister was Adelaide Broadfoot.